Elegant with the discreet suggestion of impending mischief
I learned about Dexter Gordon in the mid-70s with his album Homecoming: Live at the Village Vanguard (1976). It’s a fiery and, well, dexterous outing in which he’s supported by trumpeter Woody Shaw and his group. Later in the decade, he recorded a similar live album in three volumes, Nights at the Keystone.
At that time, he always had strong drummers, such as Louis Hayes and Eddie Gladden, who generated a lot of thrust. Gordon would float over all that energy, at times dipping into it, but mostly creating dramatic tension out of the expectation that he ought to be exploding, just like the drummer. He was a great ballad player, very expansive. His "Body and Soul" had an ebb and flow of a great novel you can't put down.
His work going all the way back to the 1940s is consistently appealing. His albums from the 60s, such as Go! and Our Man in Paris, contain shorter solos that make every phrase count.
This video archived at Dextergordon.com includes a fantastic snippet beginning at 2:46 from a jam session that includes Gordon’s antecedents, Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins, trading fours. Both tenor icons influenced Gordon, though he steered closer to Young’s lighter and more nimble approach.
Gordon presented himself on stage as a splendid gentleman and vibrant host—elegant with the discreet suggestion of impending mischief. He was throwing a sophisticated yet free-wheeling party, and he want everybody to have great time.
At that time, he always had strong drummers, such as Louis Hayes and Eddie Gladden, who generated a lot of thrust. Gordon would float over all that energy, at times dipping into it, but mostly creating dramatic tension out of the expectation that he ought to be exploding, just like the drummer. He was a great ballad player, very expansive. His "Body and Soul" had an ebb and flow of a great novel you can't put down.
His work going all the way back to the 1940s is consistently appealing. His albums from the 60s, such as Go! and Our Man in Paris, contain shorter solos that make every phrase count.
This video archived at Dextergordon.com includes a fantastic snippet beginning at 2:46 from a jam session that includes Gordon’s antecedents, Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins, trading fours. Both tenor icons influenced Gordon, though he steered closer to Young’s lighter and more nimble approach.
Gordon presented himself on stage as a splendid gentleman and vibrant host—elegant with the discreet suggestion of impending mischief. He was throwing a sophisticated yet free-wheeling party, and he want everybody to have great time.
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